BLITZ: Last-second heartbreak, 41-40

Kimberley Parker/Standard-Times Central High School's Mickey Scott breaks an attempted tackled by El Paso Franklin in the second quarter of Friday's game. He led the Bobcats to a 28-14 halftime lead and scored two touchdowns in the first half, but the Cats eventually fell 41-40.

Kimberley Parker/Standard-Times Central High School head coach Brent Davis checks his starting lineup in the first quarter of Friday's game against El Paso Franklin.

SAN ANGELO, Texas - Something magical happens when the Central Bobcats and El Paso Franklin Cougars meet on the football field.

For the third consecutive season, the game came down to the very last play of the game, and Bobcat Mickey Scott's desperation heave into the end zone fell to the San Angelo Stadium turf as time expired and Franklin celebrated a 41-40 victory in the 2012 opener.

Central took a 40-28 lead with 7:06 remaining in the game on a pass from Scott to Sterling Smith and the Bobcats eschewed the extra point and went for a two-point conversion, after the previous PAT was blocked by Franklin.

The pass for the conversion fell incomplete. The Cougars responded by scoring the game's final 13 points to steal the victory.

"I didn't feel comfortable with the way our defense was playing," Central head coach Brent Davis said. "I thought we were going to need it, to get back up by 14.

"It ended up costing us the game, which is my fault."

When Franklin completed a 25-yard touchdown pass from Cameron Candelaria to Marcos Hernandez with 5:28 to play, the Bobcats blocked the PAT and, but because of the failed two-point conversion try the Cougars pulled within six at 40-34.

The touchdown was the second fourth-down conversion of the fourth quarter for the Cougars deep inside Central territory.

The Bobcats had favorable field position, starting at their own 45, and Central elected to milk clock, with five consecutive running plays that marched the offense to the Franklin 26.

Facing a third-and-11, Landon Sawyer couldn't haul in a pass just in front of his outstretched hands that would have picked up the first.

Franklin then blocked a 42-yard field goal try by Dallas Franke and, armed with momentum from three consecutive touchdown drives, the Cougars went on the attack from the 26 yard line with 1:58 to play.

The Cougars took just five plays to march 74 yards, with the final blow being a 26-yard touchdown strike from Candelaria to Emiliano Salayandia.

After calling a time out to regroup because of the loud Central crowd, Franklin's Alan Luna was true on his PAT.

Candelaria finished with 276 yards 17 of 26 passing, much of it coming in the final two Franklin drives. Salayandia had five catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

"This tied into our team's motto, which is 'Never Quit,'" Franklin coach Daren Walker said. "We were on the ropes and we weren't playing well on defense and we were frustrated. I challenged the kids at half … The key for us was our kids never quit.

"The clock was against them and for us, and we were fortunate for that."

Central's offense, which had been just as potent all night long, punting once and turning the ball over once, had one final shot to win the game starting with the ball at its own 33 yard line with 58 seconds remaining.

Scott picked apart the Franklin secondary, nickel and diming the defense for 37 yards all the way to the Cougars 30.

His first incompletion on the drive was followed by a five-yard keeper and Central found itself with five seconds left on the 25 yard line.

Davis said the coaching staff called a hitch hoping to get six yards and call one of their two time outs, but the play was covered and Scott rolled left and heaved a pass near the goal line, which fell incomplete after it was tipped by a Franklin defender.

"We are a better football team now than we were three hours ago," Davis said. "We had a chance, drove the ball and I thought we were going to pull it off, but we never should have been in that situation. … It shouldn't have come down to that."

The loss soured a record-setting night from Scott and receiver Nick Barron. Scott established the school record for completions in a game, going 34 for 44 for 320 yards and accounted for five Central scores (three passing, two rushing).

Barron tied the school record for catches in a game (11) by halftime and broke the record in the third quarter, finishing with 13 catches and 133 yards.

The junior receiver said the Bobcats offense was confident getting the ball last.

"We thought we were going to pound it down, get a touchdown and take the lead, it just didn't happen that way," Barron said. "It's disappointing, but it isn't a district game, so we have time to correct things and get the job done there."